fandomhigh | Defying Expectations, Tuesday, Per 3

"Know thyself," Karla said as the students entered the classroom. "The full name of this class is Defying Expectations: Staying Yourself in Spite of Destiny, which is useful only if you know yourself. Whatever your destiny or lack thereof, you're going to have to deal with people who want you to do things that further their best interest. These things may have nothing in common with your aims, your morals, or your best interests, but that won't stop people from asking. Or telling. Or demanding. If you are in a position of authority, people may try to convince you around to their way of thinking, persuade you that their idea is the best, or lie and and connive to get what they want. Self-interest is a pretty strong motivator for damn near every human on the planet."

"But before you can plan around the people who are trying to convince you to do what they think is best, the first thing you have to do is figure out what you do. I'm not trying to say that your instincts are infallible--Mother Night, if you take anything from this class, please do not let it be that--but if you know what you believe, you can figure out how much of a deviation from your personal code someone else's suggestions are." Karla shrugged and gave the class a wry smile. "Whether or not that deviation is a good thing is a topic for another class--and it might be. Odds are good that in your lifetime, you're going to meet people who know more about a given situation than you do, have more experience than you have, or who are your moral superiors. Listening to them and adjusting your ideas may make a positive difference in a given scenario. However, to better assess what the people around you can offer, first you must know where you yourself may stand. Today, I've got a bunch of moral and ethical scenarios for you to ponder and decide what you would do. Most of these scenarios are morbid, but if they were easy questions, they likely wouldn't be moral ones."

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That's why she didn't let it fall, and when Elsa moved away she let it drop back to her side.

"They let fear rule. They told you to conceal, don't feel, and to hide from yourself. If that doesn't work, then what do you think you should try next?"

"I'm not going to shout about this from the rooftops and start throwing snowballs around the campus, if that's what you're suggesting," Elsa noted. "Or did you think I should?"

She was kind of nerving herself up to that. Ish.

"I don't think that's going to be necessary," Karla said, chuckling a bit. "I mean, if you're ever in the mood, I wouldn't stop you. Going straight to utter abandon is only going to make things worse. But not keeping a strangle-hold on your emotions, allowing yourself to feel and touch and experiment--those aren't bad things."

Elsa was almost smiling fondly by the time Karla finished speaking. She was remembering the beach party that Eleanor had thrown. She was remembering s'mores with Barry.

She'd taken a glove off, so that she wouldn't soil it with chocolate. And he'd called her a daredevil, fondly. She'd almost let herself feel proud, at that.

"I... don't have such a total wall holding my emotions back," she offered. "I mean... I have friends. For the first time in my life, I have friends. And a boyfriend, though we don't really... I mean..."

She waved a hand a little.

"Touch. Much."

Because touching.

"For the longest time, my boyfriend and I had the Pants' Rule," Karla said, wrinkling her nose. "At least one of us had to be wearing pants at all times, just to make sure that nothing further happened than what we were ready for. All relationships have their own rules and pace. And so long as you're both happy where you are, then it's fine."

There was a moment of silence, and then Elsa was wearing a silly little smile.

"Mine would be thrilled to find me in a pair of pants. Of course, he also broke into my room once to install a trampoline, so 'things that please Barry' happen to come in a very wide spectrum."

"Well, why don't you?" Karla asked. "What's wrong with pants? Have you tried them?"

"I haven't," Elsa admitted. "They weren't really an option for me back home. Perfect little princess, and all."

She wrinkled her nose a little as she said that.

"But I've been considering it. And... not just because wearing pretty dresses to Lady Ghanima's Terrain classes is the very definition of insanity."

Though that helped.

Defying Expectations, Tuesday, Per 3

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